Report: Schuey heads Ferrari one-two

Only Ralf Schumacher provided the semblance of a challenge to the Italian cars, but the Williams driver was forced to settle for third. He has now dropped to a demoralising 14 points behind his brother in the championship battle.

Schumacher's 56th career win, on a day when he made history as the man to start more GPs for Ferrari than any other, was delivered in typically devastating style. He made a clear start from pole position to lead into Tamburello and never looked back.

Behind him, Barrichello did not get away so well. Ralf Schumacher made a blistering getaway just as he did last year and moved alongside the Ferrari. For a moment it looked like Barrichello would squeeze him on to the grass, but the Brazilian just gave the Williams enough room to sprint ahead. Ralf locked up under braking for Tamburello, but he held it together and was clear into second.

But it soon became clear that he and Williams would be lucky to repeat their maiden victory at Imola last year. His brother was able to pull away seemingly as he pleased and was over 16 seconds ahead when the pair pitted for the first time on lap 30.

Throughout that opening stint Barrichello - racing the new Ferrari for the first time - kept Schuey Jr in range, although never got close enough to have a go. He waited until Ralf pitted and then put in a burst of speed before his own stop. With the help of his Ferrari mechanics, Barichello emerged ahead of the Williams and the runner-up place looked secure.

A botched second stop looked set to drop him back to third, however. The left rear tyre on the F2002 proved troublesome and Barrichello finally got away after 13.9sec. But when the dust settled, Rubens had still enough in hand to stay ahead of Ralf and score his first points of 2002 with a strong second place. "To finish first and second in front of the tifosi is great," Barrichello said. "It was one of my best weekends in terms of car set-up and balance. The new car is wonderful."

But Barrichello was less happy about the driving of Eddie Irvine, who held him up while he was chasing Schumacher Jr (for details, click here.)

Ralf looked a little downbeat after the race, and understandably so. "Our car was good and we did the best we could, but it looks like that is not good enough," he said.

But at least he had put his team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya firmly in his place. The Colombian finished a distant fourth after a muted performance. He never looked like getting anywhere near the two Ferraris and the lead Williams (For Gerhard Berger's view, click here.)

One of the best drives of the race came from rejuvenated Briton Jenson Button. Having started ninth, one place behind his Renault team-mate Jarno Trulli, he needed a good drive to add to his points tally. Both Renaults passed Nick Heidfeld's Sauber at the start and ran nose to tail in seventh and eighth, with the German and his team-mate Felipe Massa keeping the two-by-two formation going behind them.

Button made up another place at the first pitstops, leapfrogging ahead of Trulli. He then did the same to the troubled McLaren of David Coulthard for sixth at the second round of stops.

Kimi Raikkonen had headed the Scot from the start and chased Montoya early on before eventually losing touch. DC in turn fell away from Raikkonen and was clearly not happy with his car. But he came away from Imola with a point, thanks to the misfortune of his team-mate.

Raikkonen drove straight into his garage on lap 44 to retire. Gases from his exhaust were blowing on to his rear suspension arms and the team, fearing a potential failure, pulled him out of the race. That promoted Button to an excellent fifth and Coulthard to an unsatisfactory sixth (for more, click here.)

Button was delighted with his third consecutive points finish, which consolidates his fourth place in the drivers' championship (for more details, click here.)

Jacques Villeneuve drove a steady race to seventh to give British American Racing some cause for optimism for the future. His was the only Honda-powered car to finish, with BAR team-mate Olivier Panis retiring on lap 45 and the two Jordans going through a disasterous day. Takuma Sato was out after lap five, while Giancarlo Fisichella lasted 15 tours further before his car suffered a hydraulics failure.

A race that promised much for Sauber delivered little. Both made early first stops, Heidfeld's being ruined by a fuel nozzle problem. He had to pit a second time for another attempt at refueling and then received a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pitlane... He eventually finished a distant 11th. Massa gave the team some reason to cheer late in the race by pulling off a brave move on Trulli into Rivazza to take eighth (for more, click here.)

Both Jaguars, Arrows and Toyotas failed to finish, with the Big Cat's cars falling foul of the circuit's kerbs (for more details, click here.)

Allan McNish's car only moved about a metre off the line before his transmission broke (for more details, click here), which left Mark Webber's Minardi as the final finisher in 11th.

For Schumacher, the day had gone perfectly to plan, but he is not about to take it easy as he races towards a record-equalling fifth world title. "We will certainly have a celebration," he said, "but it is so early in the season, our minds are already thinking about the next GP." With a man like Schuey, that is not hard to believe.

For full race results, click here.

For full championship standings, click here.

For San Marino GP gallery, click here.